Chapter 10 - The king's vow
The winter storm raged outside, burying the estate in a thick blanket of pristine white snow. Inside the grand study, the warmth of the fire crackled, creating a safe, insulated world far removed from the violence of the city.
Sarah looked at the immensely powerful man standing before her. She had spent years running from the shadows of the mafia, terrified of men exactly like Calder. But looking at him now, she didn't see a monster. She saw a fierce, unyielding protector. She saw the man who had knelt on a bakery floor to comfort her starving daughter.
“What happens now, Calder?” Sarah asked softly, her beautiful eyes searching his. “The commission knows I’m alive. They know Emma exists. We can never go back to a normal life.”
Calder stepped forward, entirely closing the distance between them. He reached out, his large, calloused hand gently cupping her rosy cheek. His touch was incredibly tender, a startling contrast to his dark, intimidating presence.
“You are right,” Calder murmured, his deep voice vibrating with absolute certainty. “You can never go back to hiding. Because you will never have to hide again.”
He looked down into her eyes, the walls he had built around his heart completely shattering.
“You and Emma belong here,” Calder vowed, his thumb gently stroking her fair skin. “Under my roof. Under my protection. I will build an army around this estate, and I will burn the entire eastern seaboard to ash before I let anyone touch either of you ever again.”
Sarah’s breath hitched. She saw the profound, raw devotion in his dark eyes. She didn't pull away. She leaned into his touch, finding absolute, undeniable safety in his strength.
“Are you asking us to stay?” Sarah whispered, her heart racing.
“I am commanding the world to leave you alone,” Calder corrected softly, a rare, breathtaking smile touching his rugged lips. “But yes. I am asking you to stay.”
Sarah reached up, her delicate hands resting against his broad, muscular chest. She felt the steady, powerful beat of his heart. She knew the road ahead would be dangerous. The national commission would eventually demand answers, and the underworld would not rest easily knowing the Moretti bloodline had a new heir.
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But as Calder lowered his head and kissed her—a soft, deeply masculine promise of eternal protection and fierce, unspoken love—Sarah knew she would never run again.
The winter storm continued to howl against the heavy glass windows, but the king had finally found his family, and he was ready for whatever war came next.
